A New Client Welcome Letter Template for Mental Health Professionals

Create a new client welcome letter template so you don’t reinvent the wheel for every new intake.

You’re a productive clinician, and you create processes that streamline your administrative time, so you can use your working hours to serve your clients better. You’re now ready to create templates for your practice that you can use over and over again. Wondering where to start? Work on a new client welcome letter template first.

Why? The letter you send to new clients is the first glimpse they get of you and your practice. Use it to put them at ease.

How to start a new client welcome letter template

If you don’t know where to start, we have a few suggestions. A welcome letter doesn’t need to be long. In fact, the entire letter should fit on one page. (Don’t worry – you can attach any policies or forms to the letter!)

Start with a greeting, list any required paperwork that needs to be completed or policies included, and end with your counseling philosophy and any special instructions.

Word choice makes a big difference in new client communications

When you start writing your new client welcome letter template, try hard not to sound too technical. Yes, you’ll need to have some technical jargon because of the policies and paperwork you’re including, but the letter itself should sound pleasant and accessible, without being overly cheerful.

There’s a big difference between “I’m excited to meet you,” and “I look forward to meeting you.” Are you truly excited to meet your new client? Since this is the start of a clinical relationship, you want to appear genuine and welcoming, and not insincere in any way.

Also, try to avoid any negative language in your post. Rephrase sentences such as, “Don’t park in the parking lot to the right of the office” to “The lot to the right of the building belongs to the dental practice next door. I invite you to park in our designated spots in front of the building.”

An example new client welcome letter template you can copy

Hello (Client’s Full Name),

Welcome to (Your Practice’s Name), and thank you for allowing me to work with (you/you and your spouse/your child/your family).

Before your appointment, please read the following practice policies and complete the attached paperwork.

(List of policies and paperwork goes here. Include any quick, specific instructions for each form.)

It’s important this is completed and turned in at your first appointment. I’m happy to discuss the details with you and answer any questions you may have before we begin our initial session.

(Include a short general philosophy of counseling. Keep it brief with 2-3 sentences.)

(If there are any practice-specific instructions – such as where to park, how to access the waiting room, etc. – that information belongs here.)

I look forward to meeting with you,

(Your Full Name and Credentials)
(Your Practice Name)

Attachments to use with your new client welcome letter template

When creating a template, pre-plan everything. First comes the letter. Then, include relevant policies, such as payment, social media, and email contact. Finally, welcome packets can be used to gather the details you need from your new clients, such as personal and insurance information and consent to treatment.

How to send your welcome letter

The simplest way to do this is by using a practice management system like SimplePractice that allows you to be completely paperless from the start. You can set up all your practice documents and have them available in a secure client portal where your clients can fill them out and then they are securely stored in their electronic client file in SimplePractice. That, we believe, is the easiest way. However, you can also send forms via email and have your clients fill them out and bring in the paper forms. You can even send things in the regular mail.

Whichever option is best for you, go for it. Just remember that it’s a great idea to revisit all your practice documents on a regular basis to make sure they are up-to-date.

Remember, for a great experience for you and your clients, team up with SimplePractice. One feature you’ll especially love is our automated reminders. Try Simple Practice free for 30 days. Our free automated voice, text, and email reminders make it easier for your clients, and you!

Have you ever created a new client welcome template, or any other easy-to-implement models for other forms, checklists, and policies? Share your tips for success in the comments.

A New Client Welcome Letter Template for Mental Health Professionals was last modified: June 24th, 2019 by Howard Spector

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